jbe two tone jm pickup

JBE Two-Tone JM Pickup: Classic Style, Modern Sound

By Ashley AndersonMarch 11, 2026

The JBE Two Tone JM pickup, a brainchild of the renowned pickup manufacturer JBE, has garnered significant attention in the guitar community for its unique design and exceptional sound quality. This pickup is not just an ordinary replacement for your guitar; it's an upgrade that can transform your playing experience.

At the heart of the JBE Two Tone JM lies a clever blend of two distinct pickup voices - a vintage-inspired single coil and a powerful humbucker. This innovative design allows guitarists to switch between warm, clear tones and thick, distorted sounds with just a flick of a switch, making it an incredibly versatile choice for a wide range of musical styles.

The Two Tone Concept

The Two Tone concept is not new, but JBE has taken it to a new level with their JM pickup. By combining a classic single coil with a humbucker, they've created a pickup that can handle everything from crisp, articulate clean tones to heavy, saturated distortion.

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This duality is particularly useful for guitarists who play a variety of musical genres or need to switch between different tones within a single song. It's a one-pickup solution for a wide range of tonal needs, making it an excellent choice for gigging musicians who need versatility.

Single Coil Tone

The single coil side of the JBE Two Tone JM delivers a warm, vintage-inspired tone that's perfect for clean and lightly overdriven sounds. It captures the essence of classic single coil pickups, offering excellent clarity and definition, with a subtle midrange hump that adds character to your tone.

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This side of the pickup truly shines in blues, country, and pop genres, where a clear, bell-like tone is often desired. It also handles light overdrive exceptionally well, providing a dynamic response that can go from subtle breakup to full-on blues rock with just a turn of your amp's volume knob.

Humbucker Tone

On the other end of the spectrum, the humbucker side of the JBE Two Tone JM offers a powerful, high-output tone that's perfect for rock, metal, and other high-gain styles. It delivers a thick, full-bodied sound with plenty of low end and a pronounced midrange growl, making it ideal for distorted tones.

This side of the pickup is also great for adding a layer of warmth and thickness to clean tones. By blending the single coil and humbucker voices, you can create unique, complex tones that are perfect for ambient, shoegaze, or other experimental styles. It's this kind of tonal versatility that makes the JBE Two Tone JM such a compelling choice for guitarists.

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Installation and Switching

Installing the JBE Two Tone JM is a straightforward process, as it's designed to fit into standard humbucker routs. It comes with a push-pull pot that allows you to switch between the single coil and humbucker voices, or blend them for unique tones.

The push-pull pot also acts as a coil tap for the humbucker, allowing you to reduce its output and gain for a more dynamic, single coil-like sound. This adds yet another layer of tonal versatility to an already impressive pickup.

Coil Splitting

In addition to the push-pull pot, the JBE Two Tone JM also includes a mini-toggle switch that allows you to split the coils of the humbucker. This provides a slightly different single coil tone than the one achieved by using the push-pull pot, offering even more tonal options.

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Coil splitting can be particularly useful for achieving a more authentic single coil sound when using the pickup in the neck position. It can also be used to create unique, out-of-phase sounds when combined with the pickup's other switching options.

Blending Tones

One of the most powerful features of the JBE Two Tone JM is its ability to blend the single coil and humbucker voices. By partially engaging both pickups, you can create a wide range of unique tones that fall somewhere between the two.

This blending capability is what truly sets the JBE Two Tone JM apart from other pickups. It allows you to craft tones that are uniquely your own, whether you're looking for a warm, thick rhythm sound or a cutting, articulate lead tone.

In the end, the JBE Two Tone JM is more than just a pickup - it's a tonal palette that allows you to explore a wide range of sounds and styles. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a hobbyist guitarist, this pickup has the power to inspire and enhance your playing. So why not give it a try and see where it takes you?